Kriegsmarine Panerai Watch for Combat Divers
Officine Panerai Brevetee "Radiomir", Rolex SA-Genève, Suisse, 31 Victoires, Haute Precision, case no. 260553, reference no. 3646 / Type D, Rolex Cal. 618 / Type 1, 47 x 47 mm, manufactured circa 1944. These watches were manufactured by Panerai in collaboration with Rolex.
Important combat diver watch of the German Kriegsmarine with original buckle and original leather strap - to this day fewer than 80 watches of this type have been documented. The case made of steel, on the underside of the leather strap buckle with scratched owner's name "Striebeck", the original crown with inscription "Brevet" and Swiss cross. The dial made of blackened brass, the hands as well as the numerals and markers on the dial originally lacquered with luminous compound "Radiomir". Movement: bridge movement, monometallic screw balance. Clearly worn watch, fully functional, in original condition. Also from the same estate a cap badge for members of the small battle units (Kleinkampfverbände), the famous sawfish, made of aluminum hand-crafted, on the reverse with small signature of the soldier who made the sawfish. These badges were sewn onto the side of the garrison cap. Worn, condition 2.
Additional watches of reference 3646 / Type D are listed in the book "Vintage Panerai - The References" by Ralf Ehlers & Volker Wiegmann in chapter II.IV (pages 398-531), which also contains a historical photograph of a combat diver with a Panerai Ref. 3646 with brass dial (page 475). This section of the book shows an overview of various decorative polishes on the inner sides of the cases (Type A-Type G) (page 486).
Radiomir Panerai
Thanks to the luminous compound "Radiomir" invented in 1914 - a mixture of zinc sulfate and radium bromide - the Panerai dials were particularly easy to read at night and deep underwater. Panerai knew how to exploit this advantage for watches as well, and thus was commissioned with the production of the first wristwatch for combat divers, called "Radiomir". The first prototypes were manufactured directly at Rolex, later the watches with their cases based on the Oyster principle were produced at Panerai. In 1936, the Panerai Radiomir became classified equipment of the Italian Navy.
Source: "Armbanduhren Klassik Katalog", Königswinter 2005, page 146.
The decision to form combat diver groups in the German Kriegsmarine following the model of the Italian Navy was made in 1943. The idea came from Admiral Heye, who wanted to utilize the experience of the allied Italians. Six Germans were sent to the Italian school in Valdagno, where the Italian combat diver base in northern Italy was located under the command of Borghese and Eugenio Wolk. These German divers were sent on one hand by the Abwehr of the Reich Main Security Office and on the other hand by the Kriegsmarine (von Wursian and Ritchie Reimann). After the first course, the Kriegsmarine took over leadership in relations with the Italians and also led the intelligence men who went to the Italian training center in Valdagno and Venice. The intelligence men came from special units of the “Brandenburg” Division and from SS commandos of the special unit led by Otto Skorzeny. The first Kriegsmarine men formed the K-Unit (Kommando für Kleinkampfmittel) as the German naval combat diver unit.
The Abwehr wanted to maintain its autonomy as an intelligence service and founded its own combat diver school under the leadership of Hauptmann Helmers from Otto Skorzeny's special units. A well-known later operation by the combat divers was the destruction of the Allied-captured bridge at Nijmegen in Holland by K-men of the Navy in September 1944.
Of the watches used by the German combat divers, some models are preserved in various collections in Germany, France, and Japan. They are identical to the first models that came from the Italian importer Panerai, with the exception of some details of the dial or engravings on the back. This is understandable, since the training and initial instruction of the combat divers began in 1943 in Italy with the "Decima MAS" group ("Mezzi d'Assalto Subacqueo"). These men already had ten years of experience and many successful operations at the beginning of the war. It was natural that the instructors' equipment would be used for these small units. The men knew that their Italian colleagues used the most modern and effective equipment of that time. Even if the planned missions differed, they could still benefit from the strategy and experience.
A Rolex diving watch from the Italian navigation instrument supplier Panerai, displayed at the technical naval museum in La Spezia, was the reference model for wartime use. This watch was given to the museum by Admiral Ernesto Notari, who served as a young officer with the Italian combat divers. This watch has the following features: Rolex case with lugs for the strap, the movement with a diameter of 30 mm based on a Cortébert caliber with 15 jewels and a power reserve of approximately 48 hours, screw-down crown for time adjustment, the screw-down case back is hand-engraved: "X. FLOT. M.A.S. 01". This appears to be the first watch issued to this "10th Flotilla". The black dial is marked: "Radiomir Panerai". Inside the case back is engraved: "Montres Rolex, Geneve". With high probability, all these watches were finished by Panerai and delivered to the German Navy during the war, specifically without any signature for reasons of secrecy.
Important combat diver watch of the German Kriegsmarine with original buckle and original leather strap - to this day fewer than 80 watches of this type have been documented. The case made of steel, on the underside of the leather strap buckle with scratched owner's name "Striebeck", the original crown with inscription "Brevet" and Swiss cross. The dial made of blackened brass, the hands as well as the numerals and markers on the dial originally lacquered with luminous compound "Radiomir". Movement: bridge movement, monometallic screw balance. Clearly worn watch, fully functional, in original condition. Also from the same estate a cap badge for members of the small battle units (Kleinkampfverbände), the famous sawfish, made of aluminum hand-crafted, on the reverse with small signature of the soldier who made the sawfish. These badges were sewn onto the side of the garrison cap. Worn, condition 2.
Additional watches of reference 3646 / Type D are listed in the book "Vintage Panerai - The References" by Ralf Ehlers & Volker Wiegmann in chapter II.IV (pages 398-531), which also contains a historical photograph of a combat diver with a Panerai Ref. 3646 with brass dial (page 475). This section of the book shows an overview of various decorative polishes on the inner sides of the cases (Type A-Type G) (page 486).
Radiomir Panerai
Thanks to the luminous compound "Radiomir" invented in 1914 - a mixture of zinc sulfate and radium bromide - the Panerai dials were particularly easy to read at night and deep underwater. Panerai knew how to exploit this advantage for watches as well, and thus was commissioned with the production of the first wristwatch for combat divers, called "Radiomir". The first prototypes were manufactured directly at Rolex, later the watches with their cases based on the Oyster principle were produced at Panerai. In 1936, the Panerai Radiomir became classified equipment of the Italian Navy.
Source: "Armbanduhren Klassik Katalog", Königswinter 2005, page 146.
The decision to form combat diver groups in the German Kriegsmarine following the model of the Italian Navy was made in 1943. The idea came from Admiral Heye, who wanted to utilize the experience of the allied Italians. Six Germans were sent to the Italian school in Valdagno, where the Italian combat diver base in northern Italy was located under the command of Borghese and Eugenio Wolk. These German divers were sent on one hand by the Abwehr of the Reich Main Security Office and on the other hand by the Kriegsmarine (von Wursian and Ritchie Reimann). After the first course, the Kriegsmarine took over leadership in relations with the Italians and also led the intelligence men who went to the Italian training center in Valdagno and Venice. The intelligence men came from special units of the “Brandenburg” Division and from SS commandos of the special unit led by Otto Skorzeny. The first Kriegsmarine men formed the K-Unit (Kommando für Kleinkampfmittel) as the German naval combat diver unit.
The Abwehr wanted to maintain its autonomy as an intelligence service and founded its own combat diver school under the leadership of Hauptmann Helmers from Otto Skorzeny's special units. A well-known later operation by the combat divers was the destruction of the Allied-captured bridge at Nijmegen in Holland by K-men of the Navy in September 1944.
Of the watches used by the German combat divers, some models are preserved in various collections in Germany, France, and Japan. They are identical to the first models that came from the Italian importer Panerai, with the exception of some details of the dial or engravings on the back. This is understandable, since the training and initial instruction of the combat divers began in 1943 in Italy with the "Decima MAS" group ("Mezzi d'Assalto Subacqueo"). These men already had ten years of experience and many successful operations at the beginning of the war. It was natural that the instructors' equipment would be used for these small units. The men knew that their Italian colleagues used the most modern and effective equipment of that time. Even if the planned missions differed, they could still benefit from the strategy and experience.
A Rolex diving watch from the Italian navigation instrument supplier Panerai, displayed at the technical naval museum in La Spezia, was the reference model for wartime use. This watch was given to the museum by Admiral Ernesto Notari, who served as a young officer with the Italian combat divers. This watch has the following features: Rolex case with lugs for the strap, the movement with a diameter of 30 mm based on a Cortébert caliber with 15 jewels and a power reserve of approximately 48 hours, screw-down crown for time adjustment, the screw-down case back is hand-engraved: "X. FLOT. M.A.S. 01". This appears to be the first watch issued to this "10th Flotilla". The black dial is marked: "Radiomir Panerai". Inside the case back is engraved: "Montres Rolex, Geneve". With high probability, all these watches were finished by Panerai and delivered to the German Navy during the war, specifically without any signature for reasons of secrecy.
